Starting With A Quotation

A quotation that relates to your topic can make a good opening for piece of writing. See For example, how a student used quotation in an article about one athlete’s disenchantment with playing college football.

The English wit Oscar wide once said, “There are two tragedies in life: One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it. That irony resonates with George Hillary now that he has finished his first year playing football for Jefferson College a year in which he tore a rotator cuff in his shoulder, clashed disastrously with the line coach and went on scholastic probation.

Here’s an example from a large circulation magazine Texas Monthly. In this case the writer uses the brief quotation to introduce an article about how wrong professional critics can sometimes be:

A Limited Series, With A Limited Future : So wrote one Variety after viewing the 1978 pilot episode of Dallas, the CSS show that would be come the second-largest running dramatic series ever (only Gunsmoke lasted longer). For thirteen seasons audiences around the word were captivated by the trials and tribulations of the most dysfunctional family ever to grace the TV screen. Dallas was a giant in Television history. It set viewing records and was the prototype of prime – time soap operas, inspiring at least one spring – off (Knott’s Landing) and a host of imitators (Dynasty Falcon Crest).

We should add a caution about using quotation to kick off your draft. unless you have a particularly apt quotation at your fingertips or know exactly where to go to find what you need, use some other strategy for getting start. You can waste a great deal of time looking for just the right quote.